5 Foolproof Social Media Strategies for the New Year

1. When in Doubt, Post Pictures of Cute Baby Animals

See? Works every time. I bet you already want to buy my goods and/or service just based on this adorable bear.

2. Share Other People’s Content

Out of ideas? Promote other people. Not only is this a nice thing to do, but it will also keep your audience entertained. Authors are usually already pretty good at this, what with guest posts and blog hops, but what about on social media? The retweet, share, repin, etc. buttons are your friends!

3. Get Personal

Share what’s going on in your life, not just what’s happening with your books. Do I want to know what sandwich my favorite author is eating for lunch? Perhaps not, but I’d love to know what’s on her nightstand right now, and what her favorite song is. A good ratio to remember is 1 part self promo to 9 parts personal/general interest.

4. Picture This

I’ve said this before and I will say it again: image-based posts are almost always the most effective and popular, across almost every social network. Does that mean you should only post pictures? Nah, but chances are you could stand to post a few more. These can be pics of yourself, an infographic, a beautifully designed quote—the possibilities are endless.

5. Keep it Real

If you’re always sunny and chipper 100% of the time, and don’t let your followers see your human side, you might lose a bit of their trust. Even Elle Woods has a bad day every now and again, you know? That said, don’t turn your social channels into a therapy couch, but a “today wasn’t the best” or “God I could use some coffee” tweet can actually make your readers connect with you more.

Questions about social media? Email me at [email protected] and I might just write up a post on the topic, or sign up for the newsletter to keep up to date on the latest in social media for authors.